Gun-sight.



' J. Y. BAssELL'& E. G. BLENKNER.

' GUN SIGHT.

APPLICATION IF'ILEI)v DEO. 11, 1906lv 1H: Namus PETERS co.. wAsHlNumN,u. c,

PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907.

JOHN Y. BASSELL AND FRED C. BLENKNEILOF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December l1, 1906. Serial No. 347,247.

Patented. Nov. 12, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN Y. BAssELL and FRED C. BLENKNER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGun-Sights, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in gun sights.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved front sightconstructed and arranged to meet the many requirements necessitated bythe varying visual needs or desires of different gunners.

The more essential object of the invention lies in the provision of asight possessing the features above set forth constructed to withstandthe hard usage of the military service.

Another vfeature lies in ,the combination with a movablehood of aplurality of rings arranged to be swung into position in iront of thesight piece to reduce or increase .the field according to the range andalso to afford a more varied use of the peep sight.

A still further object is the provision of an interchangeable andreversible sight piece and simple means for locking the same in place.Also means for locking the hood in its different positions orinstantaneously releasing the same to permit free adjustment.

Finally the object of the invention is to provide adevice of thecharacter described that will be strong, durable, eflicient and simpleand 'comparatively inexpensive to make, also one in which the severalparts will not be liable to get out of working order.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel details of construction and operation, a preferable embodiment ofwhich is described in the specicaton and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:`

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of our improved gun sight, Fig. 2 is-a sideelevation, showing a portion of a rifle barrel and the block forreceiving the sight, Fig. 3 is a front elevation, Fig, 4 is a plan viewwith portions/ broken away of the hood locking and releasing means andthe sight piece removed, Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view takenon the line x-x of Fig. 4 with the hood moved to the globe positon, Fig.6 isa transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line y-y of Fig.4, Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical vsectional view taken on the line a-aof Fig. 5, and Fig. 8 shows a side elevation and a bottom view of thesight piece.

In the drawings the numeral l, designates the muzzle portion of a riiiebarrel and 2 the sight block. lt is the practice and especially onmilitary rifles to permanently secure this block on the barrel. In thepresent instance the block is provided with a transverse dovetail groove3. This form of block is standard and therefore we provide the base 4 ofour sight with a dovetail lug 5 adapted to t snugly in the groove 3,while the usual longitudinal screw G is employed to fasten the sight tothe block. It is to be understood however, that our sight may beattached to various forms of blocks and in any suitable manner. The baseis slightly longer than the block and is formed with a centrallongitudinal concaved recess 7 extending from end to end thereof. Therecess 7 terminates along each side in guide ways 8 which runlongitudinally of theA base and receive the guide flanges 9 of a movablehood 10. The inner periphery of the hood conforms to the contour of therecess 7 so as to forni therewith a perfect circle. The hood can bemoved longitudinally on the base to produce either a ring or a globe orthe hood can be entirely removed from the base when an open sight isdesired.

Near the central portion of the recess 7 and the base 4 a verticalcylindrical sight piece opening or socket ll is formed. This opening isadapted to receive the stem or shank l2 of the sight piece 14, whichstem isround and provided with opposed `flat sides 15. A pin 16 isinserted transversely in the base so as to pass through one side of theopening ll as shown in Fig. 5. This pin is engaged by one oi the flatsides l5 of the stem and prevents the sight piece from turning. Thesight piece is reversible so that either flat side may engage the pinand either of the sight centers I7 and 18 exposed to the eye of theshooter. This reversible feature is important as it provides for twodistinct sight pieces in a single structure, for instance the center 17may be white or colored, and the center 18, plain black. The stem l2 isalso provided on its opposite round sides with notches 19 adapted to beengaged by the beveled end of a transversely movable locking plunger 20mounted in the base. The stem 23 of this plunger which has an enlargedhead, is encircled by a small coiled spring 2l bearing against a collar22 threaded into the side of the base and provided with a squareopening. In cross section, the stein is square and passes through thesquare opening of the collar and thus prevented from turning. The outerend of the stem is extended beyond the collar and the side ofthebaseandhas'uxed thereon a cap 24. The coiled spring 2l forces theplunger head into the notches I9 of the sight piece, while when it isdesired to reverse or remove the sight piece, the plunger may be drawnoutward by the cap 24.

It is to be understood that the sight piece is removable as well asreversible, so that various styles may be used. It is also to be notedthat the sight piece may be reversed or removed without removing thehood l0 from the base, it is only necessary to slide the hood for wardon the base to the position shown in Fig. 4, when access to the sightpiece may be readily had.

For locking the hood in position spring 25 is embedded and secured inthe upper portion of one side of the base 4 by a screw 25e. This springis provided with an upwardly and inwardly projecting tongue 26 adaptedto engage the notches 27, 28 and 29 formed in the adjacent flange 9 ofthe hood. These notches are positioned so as to be engaged by the tongue26 when the hood is in the partially open, ring and globe positionsrespectively as illustrated in full and dotted lines in Figs. 2, 4 and5. By this construction the hood is securely locked in the desiredposition so as not to be affected by the recoil or handling of therifle. At its iront end the spring 25 is provided with a lateralprojection 30, the free or inner end of which extends across the guideway 8 and prevents the removal of the hood except when the projection iswithdrawn by forcing the spring outward.

For throwing the tongue 26 out of engagement with the hood so that thelatter may be freely moved along the base, a release slide 3l is mountedin. the side oi the base. This slide is dove-tail in crosssection andworks in a similar shaped groove, while its forward end is beveled asindicated at 32. The adjacent end 33 of the spring 25 is also beveledand rests against the end 32. The parts are held in contact by a stopplate 34 set into the rear of the base, which limits the rearwardmovement of both the release slide and the hood. By moving the slideforward the beveled ends 32 and 33 pass across each other, the slidetraveling under the spring 25 and forcing the same outwardI thuswithdrawing the tongue 26 and so holding the same until the slide ismoved rearward.

Under ordinary `conditions the hood 10 meets every requirement in theproduction of either a globe or ring, but Where a peep sight is used andthe range long it is some times found that the hood encircles too largea field and in other cases where a fine peep opening is employed, thehood is too large to be seen. With a view to overcoming thesedifficulties and meeting every requirement of the shooter, a pluralityof rings 35, 36 and 37 respectively are mounted on the base in the rearoi the sight piece 14 so as to stand between the same and the eye of theshooter when swung into position. These rings are of different sizesvarying from large to small in the order given7 and each mounted on astem 3S so as to coincide with the sight center and the center of thecircle formed by the hood 10 and the recess 7 when up into sightingposition. The stems iit within each other and have their ends connectedon a common pivot pin 39 so as to bear against a holding spring 40Secured over a recessed portion ofthe base as shown in Fig. 5. Theconcaved recess portion 7 of the base is cut out as indicated at 41 toreceive the rings and their Stems which are cut to conform to thecontour of the recess so as to form no obstruction to the vision of theshooter or mar the uniformity of the said recess.

Should the hood 1() be found to be too large or to inclose too large afield, the shooter has merely to swing up one of the rings which willstand concentric to the sight center and reduce the lield to the propersize. By providing a plurality of rings the shooter is given a varietyof sizes and may select the one best suited to his eye and the range.The hood still retains its value as it acts as a shade and alfords inconnection with the rings, globe and ring sights of various sizes. Thecentral and smallest ring 37 may be employed as an aperture sight, thesight piece 14 being removed.

i l l l It will be seen that the invention provides for wide variationin the form of sighting member. By means of the removable' andadjustable hood an open, partially open, ring or globe sight may besecured. The provision for removable, interchangeable and reversiblesight pieces renders possible unlimited variation of the sight piece,and the rings 35, 36, and 37 meet varying conditions and aid the shooterin many instances.

What we claim is:

1. In a gun sight, the combination of a base for attachment to a riflebarrel, a sight piece detachably mounted on the base, a hood detachablymounted on the base, and a ring mounted on the hase and movable into andout of position adjacent the sight piece. i f I 2. 'In a gun sight, thecombination of a base for attachment to a riiie barrel, a sight piecedetachably mounted on the base. a hood mounted on the base andadjustable longitudinally of the barrel, and a ringr mounted on the baseand movable into and'out of position adjacent the sight piece. y

:2. In a gun sight. the combination of a base for attachment to a riflebarrel, a sight piece detachably mounted on the base, a. hood detachuhlymounted on the base and adjustable longitudinally of the barrel, and aring mounted on the base and movable into and out of position adjacentthe sight piece.

4. In a gun sight, the combination of a'base for attachment to a gunbarrel, a sight piece detachably mounted in said hase. a sighting ringmounted on said base independently of the sight piece, and a hooddetachably secured to the base independentl \v of the sight piece andmovable longitudinally of the barrel.

The combination with a iixed front sight block and ils sight receivinggroove, oi". a sight base having a projection adapted to lit in saidgroove, a sight piece mounted on the base, and a hood movable on thebase.

6. In a gun sight, the combination of a base piece for attachment to agun barrel, a sight piece mounted on the hase picco, and a hood for thesight piece mounted on the hase piece to slide longitudinally of thebarrel.

T. In a gun sight. the combination of a base piece for attachment to thebarrel, a detachable sight piece mounted in the base piece, unda hoodfor the sight piece mounted on the hase piece to slide longitudinally ofthe barrel.

.3. In a gun sight, a base. a sight piece mounted on the base, a hoodadjustable on the base, and u ringr mounted independently of the sightpiece and the hood.

D. In a gun sight, a base, a sight piece, a hood movable on said base,means for locking the hood in place, and means for releasing the hoodand throwing the locking means out ot operation.

1,0. In a gun sight. a base, a sight piece, a hood movable on said base,locking means adapted to engage the hood to hold the same in place, andincansvior throwing the locklng means out oi engagement with the hood.

1l. In a gun sight, a buse. a sight piece removably mounted on the hase,a hood carried by the base, a ring niovahly mounted on the baseindependently of the sight piece and the hood, and means for locking thesight piece in position.

12. In a gun sight, the combination with a sight piece, ot' a base, ahood shorter than the base and adapted to be moved thereon to cover unduncover the sight piece, and a rim.'- adapted to be moved. intoconcentric relation with the sight piece.l

1li. In a gun sight, the combination with a sight piece, oi' a basehaving' a concaved recess, a hood shorter than thc buse movable thereonand conformingl to the contour of the recess to iform therewith a globe,and a ring adapted to stand concentric with the center of the sightpiece.

li. In a gun sight, a base having a longitudinal concaved recessedportion vformed with a ring receiving depression, and a ringl adapted tolie snugly in said depression having its upper portion shaped to conformto the contour of the recess.

l5. In u gun sight, a base having a longitudinally concaved recessedportion `formed with a ring receiving, de-

pression, a ring adapted to lie snugly in said depression having itsupper portion shaped to conform to the contour of the recess, and a hoodcarried by the base.

16, In a gun-sight, the combination of a base piece for attachment tothe barrel, a sight piece mounted on the base piece, a hood for thesightpiece mounted on the base piece and adjustable longitudinally of thebarrel, and means for`1atching the hood in adjusted positions.

17. In a gun sight, the combination of a base piece for l0 attachment toa barrel, a sight piece mounted on the base piece, and a detachable hoodfor the sight piece mounted on the base piece and adjustablelongitudinally of the barrel.

In testimony whereof We ax our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN Y. BASSELL. FRED C. BLENKNER.

Witnesses JAMES O. JOHNSON, M. B. ScHLnY.

